Apparatus for clamping and turning a pile of sheets



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APPARATUS FOR CLAMPING AND TURNING A FILE OF SHEETS Filed Dec. 29, 1954 v '5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. lV/AA/AM MACCl/QDY low [0% Ill-5 ATTOQ/VEY United States Patent APPARATUS FOR CLAMPING AND TURNING A PILE OF SHEETS William I. MacCurdy, Johnstown, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 29, 1954, Serial No. 478,425

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to an apparatus for receiving and turning a pack of plate on edge and is directed parof the desired length which are stacked in a pile between handling platforms of a corresponding size. After stacking a pack of plate in this manner, selected sheets must be withdrawn at times to obtain samples for inspection and to remove damaged sheets. For this purpose, the

customary procedure has involved applying holding V clamps, usually screw clamps, to the pack after which it is turned through an angle of 90 and placed on edge. The pack is then blocked in an upright vertical position and the screw clamps released to enable withdrawal of the desired sheets. After withdrawal, the clamps must be reapplied so that the pack may be returned to a horizontal position for further handling. .The clamps are of course removed prior to further handling. Similar operations are required when the pack is to be turned over and when one or more sheets in a pack are out of alignment and realignment of the sheets in the pack is required. These operations are conducted manually and are difficult to perform.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a pack turnover apparatus which will eliminate the manual operations 7 required by conventional practice as an incident to the removal and alignmet of sheets in a pack of plate.

A further object is to provide an apparatus for turning over. a pack of stacked metal sheets which includes a receptacle for receiving the pack in a horizontal position and has a rotatable support by which it may be rotated through an angle of 90 to place the pack in a vertical position supported on its edge and by which it may be rotated through an angle of 180 to turn it over.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pack turnover apparatus of the character referred to with provisions for clamping the pack during its rotation by the receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pack turnover apparatus of the character referred to with hydraulically operated instrumentalities for clamping thepack and for effecting rotational movement of the receptacle in which it is received.

In a manner to be described, the above and related objects are eflfected by providing a frame in the form of an enclosure or receptacle having an unobstructed opening along one side thereof through which a pack of stacked sheets may be inserted to a position with the bottom sheet of the stack supported on the bottomof the receptacle. The top and bottom of the receptacle are mounted for movement toward and away from each other and have hydraulic motors by which they are operated into clamping engagement with the ends of the pack to hold it during rotation of the receptacle. The

receptacle is rotatably supported on trunnions so that it may be rotated to move the pack through an angle of 90 to turn it on edge or through an angle of 180 to turn it over. Rotational movement of the receptacle in this manner is effected by a power operation through a hydraulic motor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent from the following description.

In the drawings there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.- In this showing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention and in which the fluid pressure conduits for delivering fluid pressure to the hydraulically operated motors are schematically illustrated in part by broken lines;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view looking from the right of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken along the line III--III of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a fluid pressuresystem for the hydraulic motors shown in the preceding figures. e

Referring to the drawings, a pair of spaced bearings 1 and 2 are shown mounted on the upper ends of spaced uprights 3 forming part'of a supporting framework 4. Trunnions 5 and 6 are secured to opposite ends of a housing or receptacle, designated as a whole by the numeral 7, and are respectively journaled in the bearings 1 and 2. The receptacle 7 has an unobstructed opening 3 at the front thereof through which a pack of stacked sheets 9 may be inserted to a position resting on the bottom of the receptacle 7 as illustrated, this position being designated herein as a horizontal position in which the pack is supported by the bottom sheet thereof as dis tinguished from a vertical position in which it would be supported on the edges of all of the sheets. The stack 9 .is shown as having platforms, schematically designated formed of metal plates welded together and comprised of a back wall 12 (see Figure 3), top and bottom plates 13 and14 respectively extending outwardly from the upper and lower edges of the back plate 12, and end walls 15 .and 16. In Figure 1, the opening 8 is defined by the forward edges of the plates 13, 14, 15 and 16.

The trunnions 5 and 6 are secured to the end. Walls 15 and 16 and provide 'a rotatable support for the receptacle 7 in the bearings 1 and 2.

Clamping platens 17 and 18 are respectively positioned adjacent the top and bottom plates 13 and 14 and are mounted for movement towardand away from each other on tubes 19 extending between the plates 13 .and 14 at each of the corners of the receptacle and on which the platens have a guided sliding movement, the platens having openings 20 through which the tubes 19 extend for this purpose. The tubes 19 are secured in position by bolts 21 extending therethrough which additionally serve to secure upper and lower motor mounting brackets 22 and 23 to the receptacle walls 13, 14. Each of the motor brackets 22 and 23 mounts a pair of hydraulic motors 25 of double acting and conventional construction. The piston rods of the lower pair of motors 25 extend through openings in the mounting bracket 23 and the lower receptacle wall 14 and have threaded connections at 26 with the lower platen 18 and the upper pair of motors 25 have similar connections at 27 with the upper platen 17 so that operation of the motors 25 in a manner to be described is effective tomove the platens, 17 and .18 toward and away from each other.

As indicated diagrammatically in Figure l, the outer ends of the motors 25 have fluid conduit connections, designated by the broken lines 29, to a conduit 30 and their inner ends havefluid conduit" connections, designated by the brokenlines 3 1 to a conduit32. The conduits 3t) 'and 32 respectively extend through and rotate with the 'trunnions 6 and and have connections at their midpoints with conduits 33 and 34 extending axially of the trunnions. In a manner to be described, each of the conduits 30'and 32 provides a fluid link or open line connection extending between and common to the upper "and lower pairs of motors 25. The conduits 33 and 34 have swing joint couplings 35 of conventional construction at their outer ends which provide for rotation of'the supported on the framework 4. "The fluid pressure system for controlling admission and exhaust of fluid with respect to the motors 25 will be best understood by referring to the schematic piping diagram of Figure 4. In this showing, the pump 36 has a pressure relief bypass 40 from its outlet conduit 41 to the reservoir 37, the outlet conduit 41 being connected with the valve 38. An exhaust conduit 42 extends from the valve 38 to the reservoir 37, and control conduits 43 and 44 connect the valve 38 with the rotatable conduits 30 and 32 through the swing couplings 35. As indicated, the valve 33 is a four-way valve of conventional construction the structure of which need not be and has not been illustrated. The valve 38 has a spring (not shown) biasing it to a centered position in which it is operative to disconnect the conduits 43 and 44 with respect to the supply and discharge conduits 41 and 42. It has an operating handle 45 by which it may be moved to one of two positions to connect the pressure supply conduit 41 with the conduits 43, 30 and 29 and the exhaust conduit 42 with the conduits 44, 32 and 31 for operating the motors 25 to move the platens 17 and 18 toward each other and into clamping engagement with a stack of plate 9 in the receptacle 7. Upon movement to its other position, thehandle 45 operates the valve 38 to reverse the connections of the motors 25 with respect to the pump for moving the clamping platens 17 and 18 out of clamping engagement with the stack 9.

' Rotational movement of the receptacle 7 is efiected by a fluid pressure motor 46 having a piston rod 47 pivotally connected at 48 (see Figure 2) to a crank 49. The crank '49 has its other end connected to a hub 50 which is rotatably supported on a stub shaft 51. A gear segment 52 is operated by the hub 50 and has meshing engagement with a gear 53 keyed on the outer end of the trunnion 6. Rotation of the gear segment 52 by operation of the fluid pressure motor 46 is eifective through the gear 53 to rotate the trunnion 6 and the receptacle 7. As best shown in the schematic piping diagram of Figure 4, adtnission' and exhaust of fluid to opposite ends of the motor 46 is effected through conduits 55 and 56 under the control of a four-way valve 57 of a conventional construction similar to the valve 38 and which has an operating lever 58. The valve 57 is connected by a conduit 59 with the pump outlet conduit 41 and an exhaust conduit 60 connects it with the sump 37. Operation of the valve control handle 58 to either of two positions is effective to reverse the connections of the fluid supply and exhaust conduits 59 and 60 with respect to the motor conduits 55'and 56 and thus effect operation ofthe motor 46 inopposite directions. The spring centered position of the valve 57 is of course effective to disconnect the conduits 55 and 56 with respect to the conduits 59 and 60 and hold the receptacle 7 in any selected position to which it may have been moved. The motor 46 and the gear drive connecting it with the receptacle 37 may be operated to tilt the receptacle 7 through an angle of from the position shown in Figures 1 and '2 to stand a stack of plate 9 received in the receptacle 7 on edge or it may be operated to move the receptacle 7 through an angle of to turn the stack over.

The normal position ofthe'receptacle 7 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 in which the opening 8 thereto faces outwardly. In operation, a stack of plate 9 having handling platforms 10 at its ends is inserted through the opening 8 by conventional operation of a fork-lift truck. The stack 9 is inserted in the receptacle 7 to a position as shown in Figure 3 with its back edge 65 abutting against the outwardly facing surface 66 of the receptacle back wall 12. With the stack9 supported on the bottom wall.

14 of the receptacle through its bottom supporting platform 10 and the bottom platen 18, the control valve 38 is operated by the handle 45 to connect the pump supply conduit 41 with the outer ends of the motors 25 through the conduits 43, 30 and 29. In this manner, the motors 25 areoperated to move the platens 17 and 18 toward each other and into clamping engagement with the platforms 10 at the ends of the stack 9. The tilting motor 46 is then actuated by operating the handle 58 for the control valve 57 to tilt the receptacle 7 through an angle of 90 or 180 depending upon whether the stack 9 is to be moved to a vertical position or is to be turned over. If the stack 9 is moved to a vertical position, the valve control handle 45 for the motors 25 is actuated to move the platens 17 and 18 out of clamping engagement with the stack 9 so that selected sheets therein may be either removed or have their relative positions aligned with respect to each other. In the vertical position of the stack 9, it will be apparent that its lower edge 65 is supported on the surface 66 of the receptacle back wall 12. After removal or realignment in the stack 9, the valve handle 45 for the motors 25 is again actuated to move the platens 17 and 18 into clamping engagement with the stack handling platforms 10 and the valve 57 is then operated by its handle 58 to either return the receptacle 7 to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 or to a position 180 therefrom if it is desired to turn the stack 9 over. Upon return of the stack 9 to a horizontal position in this manner, the valve handle 45 for the motors 25 is again operated to release the clamping engagement of the platens 17 and 18 with the stack 9 which may then be removed from the receptacle 7 by a conventional fork-lift truck operation.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the receptacle 7 and its trunnion mounting facilitates an operation requiring either the turning over of a stack of plate 9 or its movement to a vertical position for removal or alignment of the indivdual sheets therein. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the provision of the clamping platens 17 and 18 and the operating motors therefor enable clamping of the stack 9 during its rotational movement to and from a horizontal position. In this respect, it will be further noted that the swing couplings 35 and the arrangement of the fluid conduits 33 and 34 in the trunnions 5 and 6 provide for operation of the clamping platens 17 and 18 in any angular position'to which the stack 9 may have been moved by rotation of the receptacle 7. By reason of the conduits 30 and 32 and their connections with the fluid conduits 33 and 34 as explained above, it will be apparent that similarends of each motor 25 are connected simultaneously to the fluid supply and exhaust conduits 41 and 42 upon appropriate operation of the four-way control valve 38, and that fluid pressure will build up initially in the m0- tors25 connected with the platen 17 or 18, which is above the stack 9 and which will thus be moved downwardly into clamping engagement therewith. From this it will be further apparent that the motors 25 connected with the bottom platen 17 or 18 do not operate to lift the stack 9 and therefore need only have a capacity suflicient for clamping purposes. In addition, and when it is thereafter inverted by rotation through 180, the pack will drop antomatically to the low side of the supporting frame, while remaining clamped. In this manner, the pack is positioned automatically for subsequent handling by a fork lift truck without further attention on the part of an operator. Attention is also directed to the fact that the provision of the fluid pressure drive for rotating the receptacle 7 enables manipulation of a stack 9 without manual effort on the part of an operator and without the many'manual operations heretofore required by conventional practice.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for rotating a pack of plate from a horizontal position to a vertical position comprising a receptacle having trunnions at its ends mounting it for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, a side wall at the back thereof and top and bottom members respectively extending outwardly from the upper and lower edges of said side wall, a pair of clamping platens respectively mounted between said top and bottom members for movement toward and away from each other, each of said top and bottom members having means including a fluid pressure motor mounted thereon and connected with an adjacent platen for imparting clamping and releasing movement thereto, said receptacle having an unobstructed opening along the front side thereof through which a pack of plate may be inserted to a horizontal position supported on the platen adjacent said bottom member, and a fluid pressure system for operating said motors to move said platens to and from clamping engagement with a pack of plate received on said bottom platen comprising common fluid conduit connections to opposite ends of said motors respectively having portions extending axially of and through said trunnions, and a reversing valve controlling the flow of fluid through said connections and in opposite directions with respect to said motors, said receptacle being rotatable about said trunnions to turn the pack of plate between said platens to a vertical position with the back edge of the pack supported against said side wall for preventing its downward movement after clamping engagement of said top and bottom members has been released.

2. An apparatus for rotating a pack of plate from a horizontal position to a vertical position comprising a receptacle having trunnions at its ends mounting it for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, a side wall at the back thereof and top and bottom members respectively extending outwardly from the upper and lower edges of said side wall, a pair of clamping platens respectively mounted between said top and bottom members for movement toward and away from each other, each of said top and bottom members having means including a I fluid pressure motor mounted thereon and connected with an adjacent platen for imparting clamping and releasing movement thereto, said receptacle having an unobstructed opening along the front side thereof through which a pack of plate may be inserted to a horizontal position supported on the platen adjacent said bottom member, a fluid pressure system for operating said motors to move said platens to and from clamping engagement with a pack of plate received on said bottom platen comprising common fluid conduit connections to opposite ends of said motors respectively having portions extending axially of and through said trunnions, and a reversing valve controlling the flow of fluid through said connections and in opposite directions with respect to said motors, said receptacle being rotatable about said trunnions to turn the pack of plate between said platens to a vertical position with the back edge of the pack supported against said side wall for preventing its downward movement after clamping engagement of said top and bottom members has been released, and means for rotating said receptacle comprising a driven gear keyed to one of said trunnions, a drive gear in meshing engagement with said driven gear, a crank arm connected with said drive gear, a double acting fluid pressure motor for actuating said crank arm, and a fluid pressure system including a reversing valve controlling the operation of said last-named motor.

3. An apparatus for turning a pack of metallic sheets comprising a rigid frame having spaced sides and spaced ends, trunnion supports on said ends mounting said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pair of clamping platens, means mounting said platens on said frame between its said sides for movement toward and away from each other, means including a fluid pressure motor mounted on each of said sides for actuating an adjacent one of said platens, and a fluid pressure system controlling the operation of said motors to move said platens into and out of clamping engagement with a pack of sheets arranged therebetween comprising common fluid pressure conduits connected to opposite ends of said motors respectively having portions extending axially of and through said trunnion supports, and a reversing valve for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduits in opposite directions.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 characterized by said platen mounting means comprising supporting members extending between said frame sides adjacent said frame ends, and means providing a sliding support for said platens on said supporting members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,956 Canfield May 24, 1932 2,323,141 Lancaster June 29, 1943 2,520,252 Mutchler Aug. 29, 1950 2,595,131 Ehmann Apr. 29, 1952 2,596,477 Frischmann et al May 13, 1952 2,651,087 Fellows Sept. 8, 1953 2,774,487 Rounsefell et a1 Dec. 18, 1956 

